Vipe Desai’s Army of Gamechangers Featuring Scott Van Vliet

Vipe Desai’s Army of Gamechangers show is a weekly conversation with a guest who’s professional and personal life offers something special to share with our Malakye.com community. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Army of Gamechangers is a weekly podcast hosted by Vipe Desai, Founder and CEO of HDX Hydration Mix. “Over the past few years the number of people reaching out to me seeking career, leadership and startup advice has been steadily growing,” said Vipe Desai, Host of the AoG podcast and CEO of HDX Hydration Mix. “The Army of Gamechangers podcast is a natural extension to bring insights and advice to more people so they can go farther, move faster and be presented with many more opportunities. I’m going to reach deep into my network and interview leaders from across a variety of industries to share their best career and leadership advice.”

Manage Your Own Career Path with Scott Van Vliet by Vipe DesaiI am absolutely pumped to introduce you to my good friend, Scott Van Vliet! For the past four years, Scott has worked for Amazon, most recently working on Alexa, the voice assistant that follows commands and gives access to the fountain of information available on the internet. Scott has been instrumental in pioneering capabilities for Alexa’s skills. He now has a new position with Microsoft, working on Skype for Business and their real-time communication and collaboration tools. In our conversation this very innovative guy reveals what he believes is ahead in 2018 for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and voice - it’s big and about to get bigger! Hear what Scott has learned about his own career management as well in Army of Gamechangers Episode 3.

“If you’re not managing your career, no one is. You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”Whether we work for an employer or are in business for ourselves, we're constantly thinking about meeting deadlines and about pleasing the customer. When we’re that focused on delivering results, we often ignore own career progression in a way that's measurable. Good intentions are helpful, but not measurable. You can’t manage what you can’t measure. In most corporate organizations, there are guidelines which identify what it takes to get from one level to the next. My friend Scott often finds that people who think they’re working at the next level have not actually asked their manager the specifics about moving to the next level. Ask your supervisor: “What are your expectations of me? Here’s how I think I’m meeting those. Do you agree? Where do you see my soft spots?” Believe me, you don’t want to miss Scott’s deeper explanation in this episode.

As you seek to get to the next level in business, write your own promotion case.Work backward from what’s expected of you at the next level. Create steps to get there and literally write them down or put them in a document. Don’t just keep them in your head! Make a measurable plan and make your advancement happen. Set monthly or quarterly goals. Plan time to review your steps toward your goals. Ask someone you trust to hold you accountable to stay on track. Then communicate with your manager and show the steps you’ve taken. You don’t have to limit yourself to luck. Take these concrete steps outlined by one of the most successful businessmen I know, Scott Van Vliet.

Lessons from some of the best leaders on the planet: purpose is essential in business.In all of his experience with excellent leaders, one of the qualities that stood out to Scott Van Vliet is that of purpose. Purpose is about your vision for your business and more broadly, your family. Your personal career management depends on your sense of purpose. John C. Maxwell, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, has stated the fact that leaders are people who have followers. You get people to follow you when you give them a purpose and you align together behind that purpose. Make sure your team knows the purpose for every task you give them and how it relates to the overall purpose of your business. In this episode, Scott shares the secret behind Amazon’s success, which stems from their purpose.

“If you don’t have a sense of purpose, you can’t be an effective leader.”Scott Van Vliet advises leaders to ask themselves, “Do the products or services I’m involved with give me a sense of purpose?” If so, make sure you translate that sense of purpose to your team. Do an inventory of your own values and your own perception of the purpose of your work This is paramount to being a successful leader. I know that everyone is ultimately looking for purpose. Leaders have a responsibility to instill that purpose in their teams. As you strive to manage your own career, this sense of purpose is essential for you and for those you lead. Scott knows what he’s talking about.

Outline of This Episode• [0:48] Scott reviews his past several years in life and business• [2:13] Scott describes his new role at Microsoft • [3:38] Scott’s advice for those still developing their careers • [7:15] Write your own promotion case• [8:32] Scott’s thoughts on leadership • [10:45] The reason behind Amazon’s success is their purpose • [12:45] Scott advises leaders to evaluate their own sense of purpose• [13:52] Scott shares how people can connect with him.

Resources & People Mentioned• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell• Skype for Business